Corner Office: Keep Employees in the Loop

Sept. 18, 2002 -- The flight was scheduled to leave at 8:20. The sign at the ticket counter shows that the flight is on time. But it's now 9:10 and the flight hasn't even boarded. Why? Is the weather bad? Are passengers waiting for new safety instruction cards to arrive from the printer? Are the pilots drunk? No one knows.

As the minutes pass, passengers grumble. Tempers flare. Shouts are exchanged.

"Are we boarding in two minutes, or can I go eat?" one passenger fumes. "I wish they'd tell us what the hell is going on."

Your employees are the passengers on your airline: They want to know what's going on. If they don't know, morale stays firmly earthbound. They aren't quiet about it, either. Do you want your employees venting to customers, "Management never tells us anything"?

Now, a dose of reality: It isn't possible to keep all the people happy all the time. (In fact, it's not even a sensible goal.) There always will be people who claim they didn't know, or didn't know soon enough, or found out the "wrong" way. Some employees will seek information, while others remain passive and expect to be spoon-fed. A few will claim they didn't know, even if they really did.

So why bother to keep employees in the loop? Because most employees will appreciate it. Because keeping employees in the loop is too important to ignore. And because it's a big part of your job.

Take Action

Remember, it's about them. Listen to the questions that employees ask when they get new information. Almost all of them will be some variation of, "What does that mean to me?" Employees naturally want to know what to expect and what's expected of them. Does it mean longer hours? A bigger bonus? No bonus? More responsibility? Different tasks? Focus on how employees will be most affected, and be straight with them about it.

Provide context. According to the polls we've taken in organizations, most employees say that management's decisions are arbitrary and poorly considered. That belief reflects the fact that employees are rarely given any context for the information they get. As abstractions, many decisions do seem arbitrary. Employees are more likely to reward you with patience and support if they understand the thinking behind decisions.

Take a page from Journalism 101 and tell them:

Who made the decision and who will be affected by it What the decision is and what it means When it will happen Where the company is going and how the decision contributes to progress Why the decision was made How the plan will be implemented

Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep in mind that what employees want to know and what they need to know are two different things. Some employees want to know everything about everything — even if it isn't any of their business. Does everyone need an announcement that Linda is moving to a different cubicle? Employees really only need information about things that affect the whole company (mergers, downsizing, purchases, product launches, key management changes, new policies) and those that affect their specific jobs.

Don't rely on one format. People learn and process information differently. Some people learn by hearing, others by reading, still others through action. Meet those needs — and take some pressure off yourself to do all communicating face to face — by sharing information several ways:

Hold meetings Send e-mail Leave "broadcast" voicemail Post information in break rooms or other gathering spots Post information on the company Intranet

Don't use every media to convey every piece of information. Use more "active" media (such as e-mail) for more urgent or important information, and more "passive" media (such as an Intranet) for less urgent information. Experiment to see which media your employees respond to best.

Ask for feedback.You've put the information out there, but did anyone notice or care? One way to find out is to ask for feedback. Are employees confused? Frustrated? Mad as hell? Indifferent? Asking the question increases the odds that employees will pay attention, and the responses can tell you whether you need to communicate more. Let employees know what you're going to do with the feedback. Share it? Act on it? Ignore it? Set realistic expectations.

Be proactive. Don't wait to be asked before sharing information.

Get help. You don't have to do all the communicating yourself. Ask employees working on specific projects or responsible for specific functions to communicate with their coworkers. Review their initial efforts before they share them to be sure they're complete and helpful. Offer coaching or training if employees need help with their communication skills.

Review the union contract. If your employees are represented by a union, be sure you're familiar with the terms of the contract. Are you required to give specific notice of work assignment changes, changes in shifts, or other job matters?

Cut yourself some slack. If every employee knew everything all the time, it would be a miracle. Feel good if most employees know most of what they need to know most of the time.

Stay Out of Jail

Be sure that employees are aware of any policy changes.

Bob Rosner is the co-author of The Boss's Survival Guide (McGraw-Hill, 2001), along with Allan Halcrow, former editor of Workforce Magazine and Alan Levins, senior partner of San Francisco-based employer law firm Littler Mendelson. Rosner is also founder of the award-winning workingwounded.com. He can be reached via fax at (206) 780-4353, and via e-mail at: bob@workingwounded.com.